The present invention generally relates to a method and system for automatically gathering information from different types of devices connected in a network when a device fails such that the information can be used to determine the solution for the failing device.
A network may connect many different types of devices. Some of the devices may be located remotely from a central point such as a control site of the network. When a problem occurs within one of the devices, the problem often times is found to be inconclusive due to lack of information. Often, in order to determine the cause of the problem and the solution for the problem, it is necessary to analyze information from the other devices during the time when the problem occurred within the one device.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for automatically gathering information from different types of devices connected in a network when a device fails such that the information can be used to determine the solution for the failing device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for automatically gathering debug and failure information from different types of devices connected in a network when a device encounters an error in which a network controller becomes aware of the error and then gathers the debug and failure information from the other devices at the time of the error.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and system for automatically gathering debug and failure information from different types of devices connected in a network when a device encounters an error in which a network controller determines which devices in the network are capable of saving debug and failure information and then gathers the debug and failure information from such devices when a device error occurs.
In carrying out the above objects and other objects, the present invention provides a system having a network connecting a plurality of different types of devices which communicate with one another across the network. The system further includes a network controller for determining which devices in the network are capable of saving failure information during the time when one of the devices encounters an error, for determining when one of the devices encounters an error, and for automatically gathering the failure information from the devices upon determining that one of the devices has encountered an error.
In different embodiments of the present invention, the network controller is operable for transmitting a save command to the devices for saving failure information upon determining that one of the devices has encountered an error. The network controller is operable for polling the devices to determine when one of the devices has encountered an error. The network controller automatically gathers failure information from the devices by reading the failure information from the devices.
In another embodiment of the present invention the devices are operable for transmitting failure information to the network controller. The network controller is operable for transmitting a transmit command to the devices for instructing the devices to transmit the failure information to the network controller for automatically gathering the failure information upon the network controller determining that one of the devices has encountered an error.
In carrying out the above objects and other objects, the present invention further provides a method for a network having a plurality of different types of devices which communicate with one another across the network. The method includes determining which devices in the network are capable of saving failure information during the time when one of the devices encounters an error. The method then determines when one of the devices in the network encounters an error. The failure information from the devices is then automatically gathered at a network controller upon the determination that one of the devices has encountered an error.